7/7/2019
Being brought up in the traditional educational setting, I had never really heard about the COVA learning approach before now. COVA – standing for Choice, Ownership, Voice and Authenticity, has begun to intrigue me after reading about it. I was brought back to thoughts of my first piano teacher and how she went against the grain to teach out of the box. She didn’t just use traditional methods to teach, she used a version of COVA. At the time, I didn’t realize that was what she was doing. She always allowed her students to have a choice in what they wanted to learn. We had a voice and were more motivated to learn a specific song and that led to more practicing without being forced. It also led to a love of music and a love of playing. Since becoming a teacher and teaching privately, I have incorporated the same principles into my teaching style. I never really knew that it was based off the COVA learning approach. I try my best to keep students motivated whether they like the material or not. When they do not, I try a different approach. When giving assignments, I usually allow the students to choose how they would prefer to approach it and present it, usually giving only a few guidelines.
I like the COVA approach; however, it does take getting used to after years of memorizing facts for tests. I like the concept of it, but really need to learn more about it to fully understand it. I like that it gives ownership to each person. What they choose and the effort put forth shows in their work. It allows for more motivation, creativity and thinking outside of the box. My only problem with it so far for myself is getting out of the traditional mindset of learning and being free to choose how I learn or which resources I use. It gives you an overwhelming feeling even though you know it should be something easy to accomplish, that is once you decide on your approach. There are so many resources to choose from that it is very overwhelming. I’m looking forward to finding what works best for me!
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